A group of men from Cornwall are on a mission to scale Ben Nevis while carrying an 82kg log to help raise awareness of men’s mental health.
A team of eight men from Cornwall-based charity Man Down Cornwall, will heave a log of hardwood up and down the UK’s highest peak today to raise funds for men’s mental health support.
The log, weighing in at 82kg, signifies the number of men who take their own lives every week in the UK.
The group are hoping their climb will help garner around £20,000 in donations.
All proceeds will be donated to the charity, which was established by Ross Jackson-Hicks and Brad Osman in 2018.
The charity offers support to men with mental health concerns by providing informal peer-support talking groups all over Cornwall.
‘This is going to be very challenging’
The team, comprising of Josh Chambers, Ross Jackson-Hicks, Tom Mason, Jake Preston, Chris Price, Paul Read, Todd Whymark and Ross Withers, set off around 8am on Saturday, with hopes of completing the mammoth challenge in around seven hours.
The group face a trek of around 10.6 miles of uneven terrain on the 4,400ft peak before reaching the summit.
They hope their efforts will help to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health in men, whilst reducing suicide rates across the country.
Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Jackson-Hicks admits the feat is going to be huge challenge, both physically and mentally, but stresses “without risk, there is no reward.”
He said: “The 82kg signifies the number of men who take their own lives every week in the UK. That’s 12 a day – an absolutely horrific statistic.
“Through this event, we hope to raise not only money to support our work but also awareness around men’s mental health here in Cornwall, which has the third largest suicide rate in the country.
“Our organisation, Man Down, supports local men in their darkest hour. Our main aim has been, and always will be, to reduce male suicide in Cornwall.
“By talking about it, we want to squash the stigma and end the shame that is attached to men’s mental health.”
